So Little To Do, So Much Time
by rider-of-snakes
Summary: AU set before Ourobouros. Harper gets a message from his cousin Brendan. His little sister needs help...and some ritalin. Hold on...it's going to be a bumpy ride. Warning: slight spoilers for Bunker Hill. R&R!
1. Please

So Little To Do, So Much Time

_Summary: AU Set before Ourobouros. Harper gets a message from his cousin Brendan. His little sister needs help. And some Ritalin. Hold on…it's going to be a bumpy ride._

_A/N: My first Andromeda fic! Although I own the first season, the second is still too far out of my reach. Someday, I suppose. If you like it, review…if you don't, still review…enjoy!_

Chapter 1 Please

'Ah, finally, some peace and quiet to finish upgrading these minibots.' Seamus Harper thought as he relaxed into his chair in the machine shop. It had been so hectic lately with all of the unannounced battles and unnecessary boardings, that he never had time to just sit around and have some fun with his toys. As soon as he picked up his nanowelder though, Dylan's voice echoed over the intercom. "Mr. Harper, you have a message…it is labeled urgent." Harper pondered this for a moment. He never got messages, or even real time transmissions. But, he figured he might as well check it out. "Alright, patch it through to machine shop 17...I'll take it down here." 'This ought to be interesting' He thought. Then, he heard the vid screen in front of him blink to life.

Harper couldn't believe his eyes. Before him was a recording of his cousin Brendan, on Earth. He hadn't heard from Brendan since he left Earth, about seven years ago. In his rush to leave, he never thought to tell Brendan where he was going or what he was doing.

"Hey Seamus," Brendan waved, "I know it's been a while, but I need your help." He paused for moment, as if thinking.

Now that Harper was looking closely at his cousin, he saw that he looked older than the last time they had seen each other. There were sleep bags under his eyes, and deep worry creases around his mouth.

Then, Brendan continued in a hushed voice, "Listen, I know I promised but I can't take care of her any more. She's sick Seamus, but she won't stop trying to steal food from the high-to-do's. She needs sleep, but she won't stop annoying the Neits. Please Seamus, take her with you and give her a better life. I have heard rumors that you live and work on an old High-Guard ship. Surely they have the technology and supplies to handle one little girl."

Harper, unsure of whom Brendan was referring to, was about to record a return message, when he heard a low groan from the recording. When he looked back, Brendan was no longer looking at him. He was looking to his left. Then, Brendan release an exasperated, "Molli Rhenè Harper! What did I tell you about playing in the drainage pipes?" There was a slight, "uhhhhhhhh…do it very carefully?" Then Brendan grabbed a handful of his own hair as if to pull it out in frustration. "NO!" he looked really mad, "I told you NOT to play anywhere near it!" The small voice, obviously belonging to a girl, answered back, "I wasn't playing, Bren, They've been dumping whole chickens down there…that's what Seth said…Hey, who are you talking to? I want to talk too! Hello!"

Harper's mouth almost hit the floor when a thin girl appeared in front of the screen, waving. She was only a child of about twelve years old. She had curly blonde hair that fell to her shoulders and sloppily about her face. 'It's really her…Molli…' Harper thought. There she was, standing in front of him. He gawked at how big his little sister had gotten since he had left her. Then he noticed she was holding her arm gingerly. That was when he saw the broken Neitzschean bone blade embedded in her small arm. "Come here, Molli." Brendan beckoned, then he hit the "off" switch for the recorder.

The vid screen went dark and Harper was, once again, alone in his machine shop, with only his mess to accompany him. He sat there, silently for a long time. How long had it been since he had thought about his sister's well-being? How long had it been since he had even thought about his sister? Somehow, he had become so wrapped up in this new life that he had almost completely forgotten the few good things he had left on Earth.

Suddenly, Harper jumped up and ran to the command deck to make a request of Dylan to go to Earth and retrieve his baby sister from the clutches of the evil Dragons. Dylan was not opposed to the idea, but there was a problem arising with the Sabra-Jaguar pride that required the Andromeda's immediate attention. So, with only the Maru and Rommy to accompany him, Harper set off towards Earth, his past, and his baby sister.

_Well, what did you think? If you find a mistake, please tell me and I will do all that is within my power to fix it…THANX!_


	2. The Meeting

A/N: Sorry it took so long to update, I have had lots of projects going on. Also, this story has slight spoilers for Bunker Hill…Anyway, I hope y'all enjoy the next installment.

Chapter 2 Greetings

After exiting Slipstream, Harper set the Eureka Maru on auto pilot. Rommie, who was seated at the fire controls behind him, decided to strike up some idle conversation. "So Harper, mind explaining to me why you never mentioned a sister?" Harper simply shrugged. "I guess I thought she was better off there…with Brendan watching out for her." Rommie nodded, though she didn't fully understand. "But you always talk about how much you hated your life on Earth; why would you leave her there?"

Harper closed his eyes, as if remembering. "You don't understand Romm-doll…When I left Earth, I had no idea where I was headed. And I certainly couldn't have asked Beka, 'Hey, by the way, can I bring a five year old along with me?'" Rommie quickly saw the logic in his decision. In an attempt to make the trip from Saturn to Earth a bit more unbearable, Rommie asked, "So, why don't you tell me about your mysterious little sister?"

Harper seemed to think about it for a moment, then nodded and said, "Alright, but first things first…She's my baby sister, not little sister. Anyway, I'll tell you what I remember. She was five when I left, but she was already shaping up to be just like her big brother," Harper explained proudly, "she could already work a shriller like a pro ." Rommie raised a quizzical eyebrow, "shriller?" "Yeah, it was something I invented…It was just a toy, but it bugged the hell out of the Neitzchean ear drums." Harper explained. "The only problem was that as good as she was at hiding, she couldn't run very fast." Harper stopped, as if remembering something he didn't want to. "When she was born, my family didn't think there was going to be enough food to feed another mouth, but my mother and father and I weren't going to let anything happen to her."

Rommie obviously found this very confusing, because she twisted her face up in a strange way. Harper recognized the look. "On Earth it's dog eat dog. A little baby can't do anything but cry and make a fuss. A couple of Aunts and Uncles thought she was a security risk." The look disappeared and Rommie couldn't help but ask, "So why did you and your parents keep her?" Harper looked at her with mock surprise on his face. "What Rommie, did you think I was incapable of love?" Rommie smiled and rolled her eyes saying, "You know what I meant." "Yeah, I think my parents wanted their children to make a difference in the universe, but it would be hard to do that alone. So, they decided that there should be two of us…so we could look out for one another. It's a good thing too. When Molli was almost three, our parents were killed and each other was all we had. She was the main reason I stayed sane in that hell hole."

There was a moment of silence, and then a few sirens sounded alerting them both to matter at hand. Some how, they had to get through the Dragon's defensive satellite array. "Any ideas, my android babe?" Harper asked, already having a plan in mind. "Why don't I let you pull your own weight Harper?" she smirked, keying in a few commands. "Ohhhhh…sure, pick on the little guy…you're lucky I can't resist your beauty." Harper complained while hacking into the defense array, to lower their chances of being seen. Once that was done, they hitched a ride in between several in-coming cargo runners, making them seem as innocent as the Vedran Empress.

Luckily, the plan worked. The Maru was assumed to be allies of the Dragons, here on a mission to drop supplies. Harper smirked at his own genius, while Rommie simply sat back shaking her head. Once they found a good place to land, close to the city but far from the danger of being found, Harper set her down and marveled at the smoothness of the landing. A little confused, he turned around to face Rommie. Now it was her turn to smirk, "What, did you think I was just sitting back here twiddling my thumbs?" Harper simply sighed, "You really are hot when you're being sarcastic." He continued to look at her dreamily for a moment, until she reminded Harper about the mission, saying, "Harper, I'm sure your sister, the one who needs medical attention, would appreciate you flirting shamelessly, instead of trying to help her." Harper cleared his throat, "Right…on to Boston!" And they left the ship, as it was a long walk to downtown Boston.

It didn't take long for the former Earthling and the warship android to find a way past the guards 'protecting' the city. Though Rommie was fully for killing them, Harper was sure that killing them would alert the rest of the city to their presence there. So, they took the stealthy route and found an underground entry point that Harper had known about since he was a young child. "What is this place?" Rommie asked, trying not to ruin her Commonwealth standard issue combat boots. "These are the drainage pipes that Brendan was talking about in the transmission. They run from every major Dragon compound…including the armories…straight to the ocean." Rommie, again had that quizzical look. "I know…I know…why don't they keep them under lock and key, right? It's because no one has actually gotten into the armories before. My opinion is that the pipes were forgotten about two generations after the original ubers took over the place."

Only two hours of wandering the pipes and Harper had found the exit. Of course, it was only a rickety rebar ladder to another layer of the underground. Still, Rommie was grateful for the change in scenery. She was quickly beginning to understand why Harper left in such a hurry. It was hard for her to believe that anyone could survive in this disgusting excuse for a sewer. It seemed to her to be even too horrible for the rats that Harper had told her so much about. Even as she was about to ask him to show her a rat, he stopped quite abruptly. "What's wrong?" she asked, her hand poised inches from her force lance. "Oh nothing…I was just going to tell you, don't tell anyone you're an android…kay?" Rommie relaxed a bit. "Alright Harper, even though I am not too keen on having to pretend to be a human." she answered annoyed. "You don't have to pretend to be anything Romm-doll, just be yourself."

With that they found themselves standing in front of two small girls. Harper realized immediately that neither was Molli. So, he decided to use this to his advantage. Leaning down, and in his most kind voice he said, "Do either of you ladies know Brendan? Could you tell him that his cousin Seamus is here?" The two girls turned and ran, without so much as glancing back.

Unsure if the girls had even understood him, Harper began to follow them down the passage with Rommie right behind him the entire time. They hadn't gone ten steps before Harper was stopped dead in his tracks by a face that appeared in front of his own. This face, which was upside down and hanging from the deteriorating ceiling supports, was one Harper had so often seen in the hours alone in his machine shop…in the place where he was awake, yet still had dreams. His mind raced, looking for the words to say. The words that would explain to his baby sister why he had deserted her so many years ago. But, none would come. It was as if his brain, for the first time in his life, had simply ceased to function. Rommie seemed to notice the struggle he was having, even though she couldn't fully understand it.

The girl, the same one from the transmission, only minus a Neitzchean bone blade protruding from the arm, was smiling from ear to ear. Despite the fact that Rommie had a force lance trained between her eyes, the girl seemed uncannily unafraid. In an attempt to get a response from Harper, the girl cocked her head to one side and said, "You haven't for gotten me already, have you Shay?" That said, she jumped down (without using her arms, as one was in a sling) and proceeded to give Harper a one-armed hug around his chest. What she said next was nearly incomprehensible it was said so fast. "It sure was boring after you left. I mean, not that Brendan is boring or anything, it's just that he's not as fun as you are…and he won't ever let me do anything, so I think that's why he called you…Is this your new girlfriend? Wow! She's really pretty. She has nice clothes to. Is she rich? Because usually when someone has nice clothes it means they are rich, and Brendan told me not to talk to those kinds of people because they might try to hurt me…but I never understood that because rich people don't need to be out roaming the streets in the first place…" She was unable to finish her sentence. Her brother was on his knees giving her one of those hugs that cuts off the oxygen to the brain. Then she just smiled and hugged him back. "You do remember me."

Through all this, Rommie simply observed the interactions between Harper and his sister. It vaguely reminded her of when she was reunited with her sister ship, _The Pax Magellantic_. She assessed the situation and found that there was no need for her force lance at the moment. When she looked back up from putting her weapon away, the two siblings were no longer connected, but were merely looking at each other. Finally, Harper stood up and turned to face Rommie, while still not taking his eyes off of the girl. Then he smiled and said, "Romm-doll, meet my baby sister, Molli Rhenè Harper" Molli extended her good arm in a very friendly manner. "It's very nice to meet you." "Nice to meet you as well." Rommie answered, a bit cautiously. She had never met anyone this jovial before and it was slightly unnerving. "Come on," Molli waved them toward the passage they were already planning on taking, "Brendan is going to be so excited…he was starting to think you weren't going to show." "Well I'm here now." Harper answered. "I know…It's so great! It will be just like old times." And Molli took Harper's hand and the three of them began the long walk to the rebel headquarters, where Brendan was working hard to raise a revolt against the Dragons.

Well? What do y'all think? Likes…dislikes? Please review! If you do, I will sprinkle you with fairy dust and you will be able to fly through stories quickly…it is truly magical fairy dust ;)


	3. Sweet Goodbyes

_A/N: If You've seen Bunker Hill, then that is what happened next…I didn't want this chapter to have too many spoilers. This chapter begins as Harper, Rommie, and Molli are on their way back to the Maru and during their ride to the Andromeda. _

_Sorry it took so long…I had to update my Stargate fic…Hope y'all like it!_

Chapter 3 Sweet Goodbyes

It was a miracle. Somehow, Harper had managed to rouse the rebels into action against the Dragons. It had seemed as if they might win, until Tyr showed up with the news that the Andromeda was detained and could not provide backup. Harper was ready and willing to stay with Brendan and fight until the end. Brendan adamantly refused, saying someone had to watch out for Molli.

After losing the battle for Boston, Brendan forced Harper to leave. "You know what your parents wanted for you and Molli. Now it's time to use that…she trusts you." Molli appeared suddenly from her 'bedroom' (which she shared with almost six other children her age) saying, "Come on Shay…don't worry, I'll protect you." Her face lit up and Harper couldn't help but smile at that angelic innocence.

Suddenly a charge went off above them and Rommie, who was lurking in the background, not wanting to interfere in the affairs of these overly emotional humans, dove forward to knock Brendan out of the way of a falling beam. When the dust cleared Harper, holding tightly to Molli's good hand, ran to see how Rommie and Brendan had faired. They were both fine, thanks to Rommie. "I suggest we get out of here soon, Harper, before the whole place collapses." Harper nodded grudgingly.

Brendan, having lived on Earth even longer than Harper, offered to guide them to the surface. They accepted, knowing that if Brendan was not with them he would be off fighting, and possibly dieing at the hands of the dragons. They followed him until they found the rebar ladder, and continued from there.

By now, charges could be heard going off all around them on the surface. Unfortunately, there was no way to tell who the explosives originally belonged to. Brendan kept his head facing the ground the entire time. One might have thought it was to keep the debris out of his eyes and mouth, but Harper knew he was saying a silent prayer for his fallen friends.

Rommie used the time it took to get from the ladder to the outside to observe Molli. She was a twelve year old, but she, like Harper, was under fed and looked like a young seven year old. Her blonde curls, the kind that are very rarely seen outside of modification, bounced with every step she took. Rommie smiled slightly as she noticed that Molli had the same crooked smile and deep dimples as her brother. Her wardrobe consisted of a pair of black, skin-tight spandex that ended at the middle of her shin. They looked almost as if she had been wearing them since she was eight years old. Her top was an oversized T-shirt that probably once belonged to Brendan. Her small shoes seemed to be the only things that fit properly.

As they emerged from the tunnel, they exchanged one kind of darkness for another. They left the opressive darkness of the passageway and walked out into the open air of the moonless night. Upon reaching the surface, Rommie, Harper, and Molli all started to run in the direction of the Maru. The boom from the explosions could still be heard far behind them.

After a few moments, Molli realized the Brendan had not followed them. She tugged on Harper's hand then ran back to where Brendan stood holding the access point gate open. Harper and Rommie saw that Molli needed a moment. Rommie stayed where she had stopped, while Harper started to walk slowly toward his sister and cousin.

"Aren't you coming with us Bren?" Molli asked, sounding completely baffled. Brendan bent down on one knee so he could be face to face with his baby cousin. First he engulfed her in a big, gentle hug. Then he released her from the hug, used both of his hands to hold back the hair in her face, and then gave her a gentle kiss on the forehead.

"I'm sorry Molli-bean…Boston needs me. I promise to send a message as soon as the coast is clear." Molli made a small sniffing noise. "Now I have a job for you…" Brendan whispered in her ear. She nodded for him to continue. "…I want you to take care of Seamus for me, ok? Make sure he stays out of trouble, can you do that?" She nodded furiously, tears welling in her eyes, threatening to stream down her dirt caked face. She quickly wrapped her good arm around his neck, hiding her tears in his shoulder.

Harper watched their exchange and felt almost jealous of their close relationship, but then he remembered that it was his own fault for leaving her without saying anything. So, standing there in the darkness, watching the outline of his only remaining family, he vowed to give his baby sister the life she deserved, the life he had found on the Andromeda. He also swore to himself to never let anything bad happen to his blood, his family, his sister.

To finish their 'good-bye', Brendan kissed Molli's hair and stood up, pulling himself out of her grip. As he backed toward the entrance of the 'invisible' tunnel, he gave Harper a small solute. Harper caught it and saluted him in return. Harper turned slightly to make sure Rommie was still waiting on them. She was, but when he turned back around Brendan was gone and Molli was walking solemnly toward them.

Harper whispered a small 'thank you' for all Brendan had done for him, then placed his arm around Molli's shoulder as a show of comfort. She gave him a small smile, and redirected her eyes to the ground. She was silent the rest of the way to the Maru. Little did they know, this would be the only peace they would have for a long time.

The Maru

Molli gasped loudly as she stepped inside the cockpit of the Maru. Harper smiled at the astonishment on her face. "This is your ship?" she asked, almost speechless. Harper motioned for her to sit at the environmental control panel, "no…this is Beka Valentine's ship." She reached out her good hand, planning to push a few harmless looking buttons when Harper grabbed it and chuckled nervously saying, "It might be a good idea if you don't touch anything…It would be a shame if all of our oxygen was vented before we got to the BIG ship."

Molli nodded her understanding; then she caught what he had said. Her eyes went as big as saucers and a smile spread slowly across her face. "There is a ship bigger than this one?" she asked in a state of shock. "Yup, and that's were we'll be staying. I think you'll like our roommates too." There was a kind of mischief in his voice, but Rommie chose to ignore it, knowing that it was Harper, after all.

Once all systems were clear, Harper engaged the virus he had planted on the Dragon defensive satellites when they had arrived. "What does that do?" Molli inquired. "It crashes their main core and makes them totally blind for exactly ten minutes." Harper answered as Rommie started the Maru's enormous engines. Molli looked slightly bothered, "Is that enough time for us to leave?" "Definitely! We'll clear the atmosphere in less than three minutes. We should be long gone before they can reboot. Alright now, strap in and hold on, 'cause it might get a little bumpy!" he called to her from his seat at weapons control.

She watched his hands as he confidently keyed in commands. Then she smiled to herself…she knew she was in good hands. Not even five more minutes passed before the virus was confirmed and they were launching into the atmosphere. Molli was a little bit nervous when everything around her began to shake, but she determined to keep her eyes open to see every moment. After all, the closest to space she had ever been was the top of a run-down warehouse in the middle of the night.

Rommie glanced over her shoulder after lift-off to see a look of sheer glee on Molli's face. Since she was made in space, she would never know what it's like to experience the universe for the first time. Nonetheless, she figured she could stand to make it a bit more exciting for Molli. So, while they were soaring through the clouds, Rommie made the thrusters accelerate and shifted the controls, sending the Maru into a controlled spin. The burst of laughter that ensued told her that she had succeeded in making this trip one that Molli will remember for the rest of her life.

Except for the clatter of equipment and Molli humming a little tune, the ship was silent until they exited the atmosphere. When they emerged on the other side and every star was visible, Molli's eyes got larger than Harper had ever seen them. He smiled, "pretty amazing, huh?" She nodded vigorously. "It's the most beautiful thing I have ever seen. How many are there? Do they have names? Are they just suns, or are they planets as well?" She spilled out so fast that Rommie doubted Harper understood it. She was about to repeat what Molli had said, when Harper listed off, "lots and lots, some, and both." Rommie shook her head knowing that it would take a long time for her to be able to fully understand these two.

Once the Maru and its current crew cleared 'the danger zone', the area in which they were at risk of being discovered by the Nietzchean's satellite, Rommie set the controls on auto pilot and climbed out of the pilot's seat. "Alright, our ETA to rendezvous with the Andromeda is four hours. I suggest you both get some sleep." She said moving to another control panel on the wall.

"Aren't you going to sleep too?" Molli asked while unbuckling her restraints. Rommie shot a glance at Harper, essentially asking if it was a good idea to tell Molli the truth about her humanity…or lack thereof. Harper caught and understood the glance, so he gave her a small nod, hoping that Molli was mature enough to handle the realization that artificial intelligence does not just exist in bedtime stories and the ramblings of drunken pilots.

Rommie turned to face Molli and replied, "No, I don't sleep." Molli looked at her confusedly. "Why? Do you have nightmares?" Rommie chuckled a bit, "No…It's not that I have trouble sleeping. I just can't fall asleep, I am an android." Molli raised an eyebrow. "Like a robot?" she asked. Harper laughed, "Naw, a robot is just metal and wires. Rommie is so much more than that. She has emotions." Molli stopped and made a strange face as she began to mull over this new information. Harper's heart fell a moment as he thought her serious and somber face looked exactly like the one their father made when he was trying to figure something out.

Finally, Molli spoke her mind. "If you are a ro…I mean android, then doesn't that mean you were made instead of born?" Rommie nodded, guessing about the next question. "Then who made you?" "Actually," said Harper, drawing his sister's attention to himself and giving her his ever so charming, crooked smile, "that would be me." Molli smiled to match her brother's. "I was right. Just like old times."

Now it was Rommie's turn to raise a confused eyebrow. Harper took Molli by the shoulder and began leading her towards the bunks so she could get some sleep. When they reached the door, he turned to glance back at Rommie mouthing, "I'll explain later," and giving her a quick wink. Rommie shook her head, turning back to her work at the panel. "I will never understand those two…no matter how long I know them, I will never understand them."

_There you have it! Sorry it took so long…senior year is a killer. Hopefully, being on Christmas break will help me to update faster._ _If not, MERRY CHRISTMAS!! The greatest Christmas present anyone could give me is a review…hint hint…I love all of my fans! Hope you like this edition!_


	4. Welcome

Hey everybody

_Hey everybody! I'm Baaaaaacccckkkk!! I got a laptop as a graduation present, so now I can continue my creative endeavors…YAAAAAY! Sorry…I ate too much cake and my hyper level is through the roof! Anyways, I guess it's time to unleash my mojo_

Chapter 4 Welcome

Molli awoke slowly, blinking away the sleep and yawning loudly. She couldn't remember the last time she'd slept that well. She began stretching her arms and legs when suddenly, she saw cleanly pressed sheets and a fluffy pillow. Panicking, she quickly realized that she was in a strange place and that there were loud noises all around her. Scared, she looked around for something familiar…anything that would tell her where her home had gone. For a moment, she thought she might be experiencing one of those nightmares that she experiences so frequently, and she called out for her cousin Brendan. Instead, her long lost brother Seamus popped his spike-haired head over the edge of the bunk, looking more than a little distressed.

"What's the matter Mol? Somethin' wrong?" Molli blinked several times. Finally, the sleep cleared and the events of the last few days flashed through her memory. She breathed a sigh of relief and gave Harper a playful smack on the side of the head saying, "why didn't you wake me up, Shay?" Harper gave his own silent sigh, then laughed, ruffling her hair fondly like he used to when they were children.

"I guess I just thought you might wanna sleep in." he shrugged. Molli gave him her most incredulous look. "We are flying through SPACE and you thought I wanted to SLEEP??" Just then, she was struck with a thought. She jumped down from the bunk and landed awkwardly since she hadn't quite gotten the hang of artificial gravity. "Oh…are we at the bigger ship yet?" Harper smiled at her eagerness. "Almost…we are about thirty minutes from docking. Why? Was there something you wanted to do?" The evil smile on his sister's face as she straightened out her irreparable outfit told Harper that this was going to be an interesting introduction.

The Andromeda

As Dylan Hunt stood outside the doors of docking bay three, he could only imagine the havoc that Harper had caused this time. Of course, he felt terrible about having abandoned him in his time of need, but it simply couldn't be helped. There were more important planets out there than Earth, more commonly called the hell-hole of the universe.

The guilt Dylan felt for having left Harper alone in a crisis situation was not the only reason for allowing him to bring his sister back to Andromeda. Dylan had a feeling that, even though Harper's parents died when he and Molli were very young, Harper wasn't exactly "dad of the year" material. It was Dylan's hope that having someone around to keep Harper in line might be the best thing for both Harper, and the rest of the ship.

It was only a few minutes before Beka showed up, followed closely by Trance, Rev Bem, and Tyr. They were all curious about the trouble that someone else with Harper's DNA could potentially cause. Dylan couldn't help but be slightly worried about the girl's safety on the Andromeda around someone with Tyr's temper, but he kept his concerns to himself.

Trance, meanwhile, busied herself telling everyone present the exact immunizations and numerous tests she would be required to perform on the "poor child" as she described her. "Who knows what kind of horrible diseases, infections, and/or bacteria she most likely picked up while living in that terrible place!" She exclaimed with a look of genuine sympathy.

Beka gave a kind of exasperated sigh. They all turned in time to see her close her eyes and place her thumb and index finger on the bridge of her nose. When she did not elaborate, Rev Bem felt compelled to ask, "is there something wrong Beka? You seem a bit distressed." She shook her head and removed her fingers. "Naw, it's just that, I finally got the little pipsqueak to where I could take him out and he would only get sick about fifty percent of the time. Now we have to start all over with ANOTHER one of these immunodeficient HUMANS!" She sighed again and Dylan relinquished a small chuckle.

As expected, Tyr stayed as far from the group as he could while still being in the room. Come to think of it, Dylan wasn't sure why Tyr was even here. He had expressed a great dislike of Dylan's decision to allow an Earthling child to live among them with no usefulness what-so-ever. Dylan glanced down to Rev, who was standing to his left. Rev must have seen the question in his eyes, because he too glanced behind them at Tyr, then whispered, "Tyr and Beka have a bet going." As realization dawned on Dylan, he raised his hand as an indication to Rev that he needn't go any further. "I don't think I want to know." He whispered back.

Suddenly, the com on the wall sparked to life, saying, "Andromeda, this is the Eureka Maru, requesting permission to dock…" Dylan keyed the com, responding, "Permission granted Maru, Bring her in to docking bay three…Welcome back."

Once the main portion of the bay was repressurized, the crew all made their way toward the ship's entrance. When the door opened, Rommie was the first to exit. At first, she found it strange that everyone had gathered for their arrival, until she remembered that there was a new crew member in need of an introduction. She stopped in front of her commanding officer, stiffening in a formal solute. Dylan reciprocated and she turned to join the rest of the onlookers facing the cargo ship.

A small smile graced her lips as she took the empty space next to Beka. Only moments ago, she had taught that very solute to a very intrigued little organic who wanted to make a good first impression on her new captain.

Inside the Maru, Molli could feel numerous alien stares straight through the hull. She looked to her brother for comfort. He gave her a bright smile. "Don't worry! They'll love ya!" She looked at the door skeptically for a moment, then made up her mind. Grabbing firmly onto the back of Harper's loose cargos with her good hand, Molli gave her brother a determined nod and they were on their way.

The air grew quiet after Rommie had deboarded. Everyone's minds buzzing with their own individual questions. Finally, Harper's slight form could be seen in the door frame of the Maru. At first, it looked as if everyone had gathered here for nothing. There was no sister to be found, until Harper began his descent down the ramp. Whenever he took a step, a blonde curl or two could be seen bouncing just to his right and slightly below his shoulder blade.

When Harper finally reached his friends, he was practically trying to pry his sister off of him. She was holding on so tight that he was sure her knuckles were white. Still trying to remove the slender fingers from his pants, Harper began the introduction. "Hey guys, and beautiful girls," he winked towards Beka, Trance, and Rommie. "It is my pleasure to introduce my long lost, but never forgotten baby sister, Molli Rhenè Harper." Finally, the fingers came free and the girl was guided by her brother from the protection of his back, to the exposed space in front of him.

Dylan's first thought was that she looked a bit like a little lost puppy. She was trying her best to keep her shoulder-length curls in front of her face, as if hiding behind them. Now that Harper's body was positioned behind her, she tried to make herself sink into his body, pushing herself as far back as she could go. Her uninjured hand, once removed from the back of Harper's pants, immediately reached behind and found a grip on the cloth covering her brother's right knee.

Knowing that it would be a while before the girl would fully trust any of them, Dylan decided that it was his duty to try and make her feel as welcome as possible. He took a few steps to close the distance between them, then kneeled in front of her donning his most friendly smile to quell her fears. "Hello there. My name is Dylan Hunt, and this is my ship." He waved around them for emphasis. "Your brother lives here as part of my crew. If you'd like, you can live here, too. My only rule is that you learn how to pull your weight and help out around here. Is that alright with you?" He looked into her eyes, barely visible behind her thick hair, but there was no doubt that she shared her brother's piercing, ocean-blue eyes. She turned her gaze toward the floor, as if mulling it over. After a moment she looked up, but not at him. Her eyes looked questioningly to Rommie. Dylan turned in time to see Rommie give a faint nod. When he heard a deep breath from behind him, he turned back to the girl and she did something he never would have expected.

After she released the breath she had been holding, she let go of Harper of her own accord and brought her arm up in a swift and sloppy solute she answered, "Yes sir, I think I can handle it." Smiling, Dylan got to his feet. "Welcome to the Andromeda miss Molli."

_Soooo…What do you think? Further updates may take a while as I just started my 2__nd__ semester of nursing school, but I promise I haven't forgotten…It's just slow going._


End file.
